BEDFORD HEIGHTS, Ohio - If the third time truly is the charm, Northeast Ohio dance is on the cusp of a bright new era.

Should the new Cleveland Ballet now taking shape succeed and endure, it will mark not only the third official use of that name, but also the beginning of a potentially glorious age: the return of professional ballet to Northeast Ohio after a gap of nearly 15 years.

"We had it once, and we can have it again," said Gladisa Guadalupe, the Puerto Rico native and former Cleveland Ballet dancer at the head of the new company and school.

PREVIEW

Cleveland Ballet

What: "Past. Present. Future," with Neos Dance Theatre.

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3.

Where: Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square, 1501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.

Tickets: $20-$49. Go to playhousesquare.org or call 216-241-6000.

"The city has the talent, and the people who can train that talent. There's a new generation of artists who can be groomed to make a strong resident ballet company in Cleveland. People realize the necessity."

Whether she's right will soon be clear. Early next month, the six-member company, in collaboration with Neos Dance Theatre and a group of local musicians, will make its formal debut with an evening-length show at Playhouse Square titled "Past. Present. Future."

The three-part nature of that title is significant. Where most new companies starting out have only to look forward, Guadalupe's Cleveland Ballet - based at the Cleveland School of Dance in Bedford Heights and affiliated with a youth ballet company - is obliged also to look back, to be mindful of a history both brilliant and sad. Their arrival under the banner of the once-famous institution that closed in 2000 is that of a prodigal.

"The name of Cleveland Ballet is still recognized as a solid name in Cleveland," Guadalupe said. "It was part of the culture of our city."

First coined in 1935 by a group of Russians who never actually built a company, Cleveland Ballet first truly came into being in the mid-1970s under the umbrella of the former School of Cleveland Ballet, led by choreographer Dennis Nahat and Ian "Ernie" Horvath.

For the next 25 years, the company under Nahat went on to establish a national reputation, with high-level dancing and often-lavish productions, most notably of "The Nutcracker." It was the latter, in fact, that captured the attention of Michael Krasnyansky, the Russian-born businessman and ballet advocate who now serves as chairman of the new company's board.

"I was very impressed," recalled Krasnyansky. "The Cleveland Ballet 'Nutcracker' was very good."

Mistakes were made, however. Even after seeking strength in a cross-country collaboration with a startup troupe in San Jose, California, the company folded in 2000. Cleveland lost its ballet. "I was shocked," Guadalupe recalled.

Yet it wasn't a total loss. Out of the pain of watching the group of which she had been a proud member fade away, Guadalupe said she distilled not only the determination to start afresh but also several lessons that already are serving the new Cleveland Ballet well.

The glory and energy of the former Cleveland Ballet are admirable goals, she said, but if the new company - comprised of dancers from New York, Dayton, and Greater Cleveland - is to avoid the fate of its predecessor, it must operate differently, as a self-sustaining entity, financially distinct from its school. It must also be smaller and more flexible.

In addition, the health, happiness and freedom of dancers must be top priorities; gifts and ticket revenue must be nearly balanced; and a strong, involved board will be key.

"They are like two different businesses," Krasnyansky said, referring to the school and company. "You cannot commingle money. We always need to be fiscally aware of what is going on."

Over the years since 2000, Guadalupe said she's gained much wisdom from observing and taking on administrative as well as artistic duties. Today, she spends about as much time in the head office as she does in the studio.

"I've worn just about every hat you could wear," Guadalupe said. "This is why I'm here. Cleveland made me into what I am today. This is a labor of love."

Out of that experience has come serious ambition. In two years, Guadalupe said her aim is to grow the company's budget of $275,000, funded largely by private sources including her own trust and Krasnyansky's MK Global Enterprises, to $2 million. She also intends to increase school enrollment by 50 percent, to 150, partly through a new relationship with the Andrews Osborne Academy in Willoughby.

Long-range, the company is also considering acquiring and renovating a larger facility of its own in Cleveland, with room to construct a small theater and ample rehearsal space. While adequate and geographically convenient, the company's current home in Bedford cannot accommodate growth, even the prudent sort Guadalupe has in mind.

"Past. Present. Future.," the show being staged Saturday, Oct. 3, is just the beginning. In the spring, Cleveland Ballet also plans to mount a production of "Coppelia," also at Playhouse Square, incorporating three-dimensional backdrops designed by a local high school student.

Both events, together, comprise what Cleveland Ballet is calling its "preview" season. Starting now and for coming year, the company is on a mission to show the world what it can do, to revitalize and live up to its name.

"We want to prove to our city that we are good enough, that Cleveland will once again have its own ballet company," Guadalupe said. "We want to prove that we are the ones they want to see."